Dolly Parton’s family mourned the country icon’s death in an intimate memorial service on Friday, August 28.
“This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words,” Parton’s niece Lainey wrote via Instagram on Saturday, August 29, mourning her beloved aunt’s death while confirming she was laid to rest. “From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself.”
Us confirmed on Tuesday, August 25, that Parton had died after a brief battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. Days later on Friday, her relatives were spotted arriving at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum for the funeral. (Parton was buried beside her beloved husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in 2025.)
“Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can’t think of one with her,” Lainey recalled. “Because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she always made us feel like we were hers. She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
She continued, “As I got older, she continued to believe in me. When I told her I wanted to go to beauty school, she never questioned why I wasn’t going to college. She told me she couldn’t see me doing anything else. She financially supported me through school and helped me get my career started. She didn’t just tell me to chase my dreams, she helped me get there.”
According to Lainey, “it still doesn’t feel real” that Parton died despite attending her burial service.
“I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4 AM calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again,” she wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, sent messages, flowers to my house, or done any of the little things to show me love. I’ve noticed every single one, and they’ve meant more than you know.”
She concluded, “I feel incredibly lucky that I got to call her my granny. Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything. I love you, Granny. Always.”
